(Ful)bright Future in Regenerative Medicine

 
Doaa Kzar was just eight years old when her cousin suffered severe injuries from a landmine explosion in their home country of Iraq. From that moment on, she knew she wanted a career in medicine.

Doaa graduated from University of Wasit with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degree in 2018. She went on to work as a resident doctor followed by a fellowship to become a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgery doctor. It was during that time she saw a dire need that further inspired her career path.

“My work in the burn management unit made me realize how much we are in desperate need of regenerative medicine,” Doaa says. “I lost many pediatric patients due to skin loss that we couldn’t treat because the patients were too small to find any suitable grafts, and we lacked the facilities and funding to provide the patients with skin substitutes.”

Doaa decided to pursue her passion for regenerative medicine, which centers on engineering or regenerating cells, tissues or organs to restore or establish human function. She applied for the Fulbright Program, a prestigious and highly competitive program providing international students the opportunity to pursue master’s-level study in the U.S. Out of thousands of Fulbright applicants in Iraq, Doaa was one of 10 students selected.

“I worked with my Fulbright advisor to search for a biotech program flexible enough to give me space to learn more about cell culture, stem cells and regenerative medicine,” Doaa says. “After carefully studying the program and looking into the courses provided, I chose the biotechnology master’s program at UNH Manchester.”

Doaa was nervous to embark on this new adventure, unsure of how her academic and social life would be on the other side of the planet. When she settled in, she says, she found her academic home.

“UNH Manchester is a relatively small campus, and I found it to be the most welcoming and supportive,” Doaa says. “I feel the most comfortable in its libraries and labs, in which I have all the support and guidance I need.”

Being a Fulbright Scholar is not just about the academic exchange experience—it’s also about celebrating cultural diversity.

“I’m an informal ambassador of my culture in the States and vice versa in my country,” Doaa says. “I’m reflecting on my experiences here with my colleagues and friends back home, and I’m always delighted to talk about UNH Manchester and New Hampshire in general.”

Doaa notes that the college’s location in the state’s biotechnology hub as well as research mentorship from professors has been particularly valuable. She’s been actively working on lab projects, with her most recent research centered on differentiating Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. She says she’s building the skills and experience to pursue a Ph.D. in regenerative medicine with a focus on burn management and reconstructive surgery.

“My ultimate goal is to establish cellular surgery labs and operation rooms in which surgical management is less invasive and adapted to the patient’s needs,” Doaa says. “I aspire to make lab-based, individualized regenerative surgical treatment a reality, and the biotechnology program at UNH Manchester is preparing me well for my future.”